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County reports $53.1M available at fiscal year‑end; board approves $46.6M in one‑time allocations and new reserve funds
Summary
San Joaquin County administrators reported $53.1 million in available general‑fund balance for fiscal year 2024–25 and the Board approved one‑time allocations including a $35.5 million capital reserve, $10 million to general reserves, IST penalty fund, sheriff and telephony projects and other items.
San Joaquin County administrators on Sept. 23 presented the fiscal year 2024–25 year‑end report showing $53.1 million in available general‑fund savings after encumbrances. The Board of Supervisors approved a package of one‑time appropriations, fund transfers and two new funds to allocate those balances.
Deputy County Administrator Jennifer VanStein summarized the closing numbers: general fund departments ended the year with expenses roughly $171 million under budget and revenue $98 million under budget, producing net departmental savings of about $73 million. After $40.5 million in encumbrances carry‑forward, the available fund balance was $53.1 million. An earlier board allocation of salary savings for the District Attorney reduced the usable balance from about $60.8 million.
Board allocations approved on the staff recommendation included:
- $35.5 million transferred to a new Capital Reserve Fund for future capital projects. - $10.0 million transferred to the General Reserve to prepare for federal and state budget uncertainties. - $5.2 million to a new Department of State Hospitals (IST) action fund to account for a returned sanction payment and subsequent expenditure plan tied to the state’s incompetency‑to‑stand‑trial growth cap (Welfare & Institutions Code references discussed by staff). - $1.6 million for sheriff projects (tenant improvements, cameras, records management upgrades) and $450,000 for a second armored vehicle, plus roughly $400,000 for underground fuel tank repairs. - $1.5 million supplement for the county’s telephony system replacement (total project cost updated to $6.5M).
Why it matters: County administrators characterized the savings as one‑time resources and recommended against using them for recurring costs. The board accepted the recommendation to prioritize capital reserves and contingency planning given looming state and federal funding uncertainties.
Board action: The package of appropriations, transfers and the creation of two new funds was approved 5–0. VanStein and CAO staff said additional analysis will be incorporated into the 2026–27 budget process, and behavioral health will build the IST penalty return spending into its expenditure plan.
Ending: Supervisors stressed prudence given uncertain state and federal policy changes. Staff will return with updates as projects are executed and as state guidance on IST penalty allocations is finalized.
